Years ago I suspended magazine subscriptions, finding that only a select number of issues are immediately relevant. The remainder are fodder for recycling. Now, my art magazine browsing happens while sipping chai tea, sitting next to natural light from a window in a bookstore café. The bookstore seemingly doesn't mind that I am using their facility more as a library than a commercial venture. I do occasionally purchase a magazine.
What interests me is, well, watching what interests me. I take notes on names and websites for browsing at a later time. What catches my attention this trip? The contemporary artists in a Minneapolis Institute of Art exhibit "Edo Pop: the Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints"; the rusty mark making of fiber artist Patricia Vivod; the translucency of the work of Korean paper artists in "Bojagi and Beyond"; the title of Claire Campbell Park's self-published 2010 book "Creating with Reverence: Art, Diversity, Culture and Soul"; and Aurora Robson's recycled plastic installations.
The Edo period captured my attention decades ago for its aesthetics, although not for its historic cultural values. I am surprised to discover that contemporary artists bother to reference an art form from 400 years ago.
The previous two books that I digested - Pema Chodron's "When Things Fall Apart" and Natalie Goldberg's "Long Quiet Highway" - are rooted in the Buddhist traditions. Although I am not aligned with either Tibetan or Zen Buddhism, there is a thread that runs through Eastern philosophy that does connect with my art, my life. In fact, I noticed these two book titles while scanning yet another but more contemporary book, "Crafting for Calm." If you have perused Campbell Park's book "Creating with Reverence," I welcome your thoughts.
And then there are the organic plastic (this sounds like an oxymoron) installations that Robson designs, working at a scale about which I simply daydream: BIG. My daydreaming has, however, recently propelled me to apply for an intensive workshop and a 2-week artist retreat; places where I'd explore the methods and means to not just visualize, but potentially manifest my musings. I'll keep you posted on the outcome. Not only do I enjoy the environmental aspects of Robson's work - both socially and visually, I enjoy her "Links and Inspiration" webpage listing several dozen influential artists. Among them is one of my former university instructors, Martin Puryear.
My initial thought: small world. My second thought: big world. It's all connected in an enigmatically, delightful way, right here in the magazine section of Books-A-Million.
What interests me is, well, watching what interests me. I take notes on names and websites for browsing at a later time. What catches my attention this trip? The contemporary artists in a Minneapolis Institute of Art exhibit "Edo Pop: the Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints"; the rusty mark making of fiber artist Patricia Vivod; the translucency of the work of Korean paper artists in "Bojagi and Beyond"; the title of Claire Campbell Park's self-published 2010 book "Creating with Reverence: Art, Diversity, Culture and Soul"; and Aurora Robson's recycled plastic installations.
The Edo period captured my attention decades ago for its aesthetics, although not for its historic cultural values. I am surprised to discover that contemporary artists bother to reference an art form from 400 years ago.
The previous two books that I digested - Pema Chodron's "When Things Fall Apart" and Natalie Goldberg's "Long Quiet Highway" - are rooted in the Buddhist traditions. Although I am not aligned with either Tibetan or Zen Buddhism, there is a thread that runs through Eastern philosophy that does connect with my art, my life. In fact, I noticed these two book titles while scanning yet another but more contemporary book, "Crafting for Calm." If you have perused Campbell Park's book "Creating with Reverence," I welcome your thoughts.
And then there are the organic plastic (this sounds like an oxymoron) installations that Robson designs, working at a scale about which I simply daydream: BIG. My daydreaming has, however, recently propelled me to apply for an intensive workshop and a 2-week artist retreat; places where I'd explore the methods and means to not just visualize, but potentially manifest my musings. I'll keep you posted on the outcome. Not only do I enjoy the environmental aspects of Robson's work - both socially and visually, I enjoy her "Links and Inspiration" webpage listing several dozen influential artists. Among them is one of my former university instructors, Martin Puryear.
My initial thought: small world. My second thought: big world. It's all connected in an enigmatically, delightful way, right here in the magazine section of Books-A-Million.